


Resurgence

by SkywardHeroine



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Headcanon, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-05-02 03:46:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5232755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkywardHeroine/pseuds/SkywardHeroine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We have about another twelve hours before we land in Baticul.” Noelle informed the gang from the pilot’s seat. “Is that enough time for you to explain, Luke?”</p><p>“Yeah, I think so,” Luke answered her, scrubbing a hand through his long hair. “This… might take awhile.” he admitted.</p><p>[Set after the epilogue. Guy/Luke fluff]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Explanation

The flight from Grand Chokmah to Baticul was going to take another half of a day, and the party had decided to use this time together to catch up with Luke and fill him in on things that he missed while was away. Jade had countless questions for the redhead; how exactly it was that he had survived his illness, Eldrant’s subsequent collapse, and what is was like to be submerged in the core of the planet for the past three years to name few.

Of course, Guy hadn’t pressed Luke for these details as the two of them had been so caught up in each others presence that such questions were never brought up. Though Luke was aware that Guy had noticed some changes in his physique last night.

Looking intently into Guy’s eyes for a moment, seeing the same unspoken questions in those familiar sky blue orbs. Luke turned to their friends before speaking, “I guess I should explain everything to you before we get to Baticul and tell my parents that I’m alive after all this time.”

“We have about another twelve hours before we land in Baticul.” Noelle informed the gang from the pilot’s seat. “Is that enough time for you to explain, Luke?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Luke answered her, scrubbing a hand through his long hair. “This… might take awhile.” he admitted.

Anise puffed her cheeks, “Boo! It better be exciting then, Luke!”

“I have no doubt that it will be quite the tale,” Jade said, adjusting his glasses.

Guy draped his arm across Luke’s shoulders. “If explaining gets to be too hard on you, let us know.”

“Thanks.” Luke replied, smiling back at Guy before continuing, “Alright. Where should I start?”

“What exactly happened after you freed Lorelei?” Ion asked softly.

Luke sat quietly for a moment, reflecting on the events that happened after they split up in Eldrant. It was shortly after Van had been defeated that Jade informed the party that Lorelei must be freed, or else all of their efforts will have been in vain. It was then that Luke grabbed the Sword of Lorelei and brought it to the center of the battlefield and looked at his friends and Guy for what he had originally thought to be the very last time. After saying their goodbyes, Luke had plunged the Sword of Lorelei into the regenerating surface of Eldrant, causing an eruption of seventh fonons from both his body and the newly replicated land.

“It happened almost immediately,” Luke began, his voice steady. “After I drove the Sword of Lorelei into the ground, my remaining seventh fonons immediately began to detach. I was engulfed in their light, and when my vision finally adjusted, I was floating in some sort of transparent force field and I was falling into the core pretty quickly. It took me a moment to realize that all of Eldrant was collapsing, too. And then, suddenly, Asch’s… Asch’s _body_ fell into my arms.”

Natalia audibly gasped, while Tear’s arms encircled Mieu even tighter. Anise and Ion exchanged surprised glances while Jade only gave a single nod.

Guy’s hand clenched tightly around Luke’s shoulder, drawing the redhead closer to himself, “Luke…”

In response, Luke placed a hand against Guy’s chest, managing to smile to tell him that it was alright before continuing with his story, “I didn’t even have time to process what had just happened, because Lorelei revealed himself and congratulated me on our victory against Van. Then my mind caught up with me and I remembered my condition. So I asked Lorelei if it was time.” Luke paused, taking a steadying breath. “Lorelei told me that I wasn’t going to die, but instead that I couldn’t return to the surface as I wouldn’t survive much longer with my condition and I was going to have to stay in the core. I begged Lorelei to let me communicate with Guy. I couldn’t… I couldn’t stand the thought of Guy spending the rest of his life thinking that I had died and disappeared along with Eldrant that night.”

“I’m glad that you did,” Guy interrupted, causing the party to turn and look at him. “It was the only thing that kept me going all of those years.”

“Incredible,” Jade murmured. “Lorelei was able to temporarily instill you it’s ability to telepathically communicate with someone outside of the core due to your identical fonon frequencies. What’s even more fascinating is that Guy was able to hear you despite the two of you having different frequencies.”

“Ohh, maybe it was because of their love?” Anise cooed suddenly with starry eyes.

Natalia scoffed. “Honestly, Anise. If that was the case, wouldn’t the rest of us be able to establish a telepathic link with our lovers?”

“Mieuuuu! I think that Master was only able to do that because he and Lorelei have the same fonon frequency and their bond was what allowed Guy to hear Master!” Mieu chirped happily.

“A-anyway, shouldn’t we let Luke continue telling us his story?” Tear interjected, busying her hands trying to keep an excited Mieu from falling out of her lap and onto the floor.

“Of course,” Jade agreed, leaning back in his own chair. “Please, continue Luke.”

“After I lost the connection with Guy, Lorelei surrounded us before merging itself with me. Our fusion caused all of the remaining seventh fonons between Asch and I to separate around us, before Lorelei’s power drew all of the seventh fonons back into my body.”

“ _Whaaaat?_ ” Anise exclaimed. “Wait, so does that make you partly Asch, too?”

Natalia stood up from her seat, hands wringing together anxiously. “Th-that would make you half-Asch, half-Luke!”

Guy’s body tensed. _If he’s half-Asch and half-Luke, does that mean part of his memories and personality are Asch’s as well?_

“Not exactly, it’s–!” Luke started to explain, but Natalia, Anise, and Tear all began discussing theories between themselves.

This time, Jade interrupted. “Lorelei bonded Luke’s seventh fonons with Asch’s before returning them to Luke’s own body. By infusing Luke’s rapidly deteriorating seventh fonons with the stable fonons of his original, Lorelei was about to cure his otherwise terminal condition. Remember, Asch was killed shortly after we were reunited with Luke in Eldrant. It would be impossible for Luke to have gained the memories and personality of someone who was deceased.”

“Thanks, Jade.” Luke said, before clarifying. “While my body is a fusion between my replicated form and Asch’s original form, my thoughts, memories, and personality are entirely mine.”

Upon hearing those words from Luke, Guy visibly relaxed. _Thank Yulia._

After about another hour of explaining what occurred during his three year long stay in the core alongside Lorelei, the party finally had an understanding of what Luke had been through and why his return to the surface was delayed for so long.

“We should all get some rest. The Duke and Duchess will undoubtedly have many questions about Luke once we arrive in Baticul tomorrow morning,” Jade said.

“Jade is right,” Ion added, standing up from his chair. “It’s in everyone’s best interest to rest.”

One by one, the members of the party retreated to the cabins aboard the Albiore. Guy and Luke were the last to head to bed. Pushing the door open to their room, Guy stood in the dimly lit hallway as Luke passed through the threshold. The redhead took off his white cloak before running a hand through his lengthy hair.

“What’re you thinking about?” Luke asked suddenly, turning his attention Guy. The blonde only smiled, finally closing the door behind him. He walked up to Luke, his eyes locked intently on the redhead’s face.

“Nothing,” Guy replied, reaching out and drawing Luke into a tight hug. His hands gripped the lose fabric of Luke’s black shirt. “I just can’t get over the fact that you’re here with me again.”

Luke enfolded his arms around Guy’s shoulders, securing his hold. “And I’ll stay with you, for the rest of our lives.” The redhead withdrew slightly, lifting his left hand to cradle Guy’s cheek and using his thumb to wipe away the tear that was threatening to fall, “We’re finally, _finally_ , together again.”

Guy leaned down and claimed Luke’s lips in a soft kiss, one hand cradling the back of Luke’s head while the other entangled itself in the boy’s long, crimson tresses. After a moment or two, Guy pulled away only to brush his lips gently against Luke’s forehead before murmuring. “I love you, Luke.”

The redhead’s heart trilled at those words, “I love you, too, Guy.”

The two stayed awake for a short while longer, simply reveling at being _with_ one another after all of this time, before drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to flesh out my thoughts for post-game Luke and a fanfiction ensued. I don't know how many chapters this will have, but I have at least two more installments ready to go after I proof-read them. Enjoy!
> 
> On a side note: I am actual Guy/Luke trash.


	2. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this idea when I thought about how exactly Baticul is laid out. It would be a bit disconcerting for the citizens of Baticul if they saw Luke traversing the capital three years after his supposed death, thus the events of this chapter ensued. Also, I wanted Duke and Lady Fabre to be the first outside of the party to know.

The Albiore descended just on the outskirts of Kimlasca's capital early the next morning. A very tired Noelle notified the party immediately over the airship's intercom system. 

"I'll stay back with the ship," Noelle told them with a yawn as the group departed the airship.

"Nonsense," Natalia replied when she came to stand next to the pilot. She handed Noelle a leather pouch of gald before continuing, "Come with us to the city and I'll personally see to it that you are given the executive suite at the inn as a guest of the Royal Family."

"Thank you, Natalia." Noelle said, giving the Kimlascan heir apparent a genuine smile of gratitude.

The party, now with Noelle in tow, began the trek to Baticul's front gates. As their destination drew near, Jade stopped in his tracks and signaled for the rest of the gang to stop as well. 

"What's the hold up, Colonel?" Anise pressed, puffing air into her cheeks in annoyance. "We're almost there!"

Jade was unfazed by her comment, his gaze fixed on Luke. "I think it would be in our best interest if Luke were to hide his identity, that is, at least until we reach the top tier of the city."

Tear nodded in agreement, "Jade's right. If the people of Baticul see Luke, the news will reach the Duke and Duchess before we're even half way through the shopping district." 

Guy sighed in submission, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked over his fiancé. "They have a point, Luke. Your hair is a dead giveaway." 

"I don't exactly plan on cutting it," Luke replied, scrubbing a hand through his unruly bangs in thought. After a moment, the redhead continued, "I could hide it under my robes, though. I'll just use this loose fabric as a hood." As he said this, Luke shrugged off the long white cloak before putting it back on, leaving his hair sandwiched between the cloak and his undershirt. Guy then moved to help him use the loose black fabric that pooled around his neck as a makeshift hood. Taking extra precautions to keep Luke's telltale Kimlascan royal red hair hidden from view, Guy tucked the remaining strands of Luke's ever-stubborn bangs beneath the dark fabric with the upmost care. 

"That should do," Jade said, pleased with the improvised disguise. "At the very least, Luke will not be immediately recognized by any of Baticul's civilians. The same cannot be said for Natalia, so it would be beneficial to arrive at the Fabre manor as quickly and discreetly as possible."

"Yeah, yeah, we _know_. It's not like we've never traveled together before. Can we get going now?" Anise pressed insistently, taking an impatient step in the direction of the capital's main gates. To this, Jade only smirked, shoving his hands into his coat pockets as he walked toward the capital once more, the rest of the party following in suit. 

Luke had laughed at Anise's impatience, though, admittedly, he was getting more than a bit anxious about reuniting with his parents. _I wonder how they will react...?_

The group passed the first threshold into Baticul, now steadily crossing the bridge. As they finally entered the city itself, Guy stepped closer to Luke, "You're nervous." the older boy observed in a hushed tone .

"Nothing ever gets passed you, does it?" Luke replied teasingly, being sure to keep his voice as quiet as possible now that they had entered the city. 

"Not when it comes to **_you_**." Guy told him, hand reaching over to brush against Luke's for a fleeting moment before retreating to Guy's side as they passed a merchant's stand. The brief contact and Guy's response sent a wave of electricity through the redhead, but he quickly collected himself when Anise giggled and pushed passed the pair, a fiendish grin on her face. Tear shot Anise a look that clearly said 'quit it', with Mieu holding his paw up to his face in a silent 'shush' motion to which Anise replied by sticking out her tongue childishly behind Tear's back.

Natalia led her friends through the city, her presence alone drawing more attention to the party than was necessary. Many civilians stopped and watched their princess and her group traverse the kingdom's capital, just like they had three long years ago, many speaking amongst themselves while others even followed them for a distance before the party ascended to yet another tier. 

"That's Princess Natalia with the Fon Master!" One upper class woman told another as the group filed out the elevator and approached the hotel where Noelle would be staying for the day. Natalia gestured for Noelle to follow her into the hotel's lobby, leaving the rest of the party to wait outside. 

"And isn't that Colonel Curtiss?" The other replied, stopping in her tracks to peer at the remainder of the party as they walked past them, "Hey, that's the group that Princess Natalia and Luke used to travel with before..."

Guy glanced over at the two women, expression unreadable, before turning his attention back to Luke who had quickened his pace to match Guy's own. Jade cleared his throat a little louder than strictly necessary as they continued to walk away from the gossiping aristocrats. 

"Shh!" The first woman chided before continuing, "They're probably here to pay their respects to Duke and Lady Fabre. Luke would have come of age this year, remember?"

"Oh, that's right! The poor dear was so young..." The second woman exclaimed before trailing off, her eyes fixed on Luke as he stuck close to Guy. "You know, it's odd, but that young man with them almost carries himself the same way that Luke did, don't you think?"

Luke tugged on the cloth around his neck nervously, silently hoping that the women would just shut up as their conversation drew the attention of the other civilians. Soon the plaza was filled with the sound of hushed voices and Luke quickly found the bulk of the crowd staring at him. 

"I think it would be wise for us to leave this area," Jade murmured, adjusting his glasses so that the bright midday sun glinted off of the lenses. 

"The Colonel's right," Anise told them in a hushed voice, eyes flitting over to Luke for a brief moment before turning to look back at the steadily growing crowd, "We're getting too much attention because of Natalia and Ion." 

"I'm sorry about that," Ion whispered, offering the party an apologetic smile. 

"It can't be helped," Tear hedged, "We were going to draw attention no matter how we approached the situation. The way Baticul is laid out gave us no other option, plus our group is made up of important figures with or without Luke." 

Guy gave a nod of agreement before glancing over at Luke and seeing the boy's distress. "Hey, it's okay. We're almost to the manor." he reminded him, more for Luke's sake than the rest of the party's. "We just have to wait for Natalia and go up one more level."

"Yeah, I know, but we need to hurry." Luke told them heatedly in a hushed tone. "The closer we get to the castle, the more familiar the civilians are with me and Natalia."

When Natalia finally emerged from the hotel, she quickly took note of the situation. As she rejoined her friends, she found that even more people were staring at them. "Let's not waste another moment," She spoke before hurriedly bringing the party to the final elevator. Once there, the party finally ascended to the royal quarter. 

"How does it feel to be back home, Luke?" Anise asked, elbowing the redhead in the side as they approached the Duke's manor.

Luke grinned but shook his head, brushing the back of his left hand against Guy's right just before they reached the gates. The blonde felt a surge of warmth course through him at the simple contact and a blush touched his steely features. "My home is in Grand Chokmah with Guy," Luke told her honestly, his eyes meeting Guy's sky blue ones. 

"Luke--" Guy began, but whatever the swordsman was going to say was lost as the White Knight standing guard at the Fabre manor blocked their entry.

"I'm sorry, but His Grace and Her Lady aren't accepting any visitors at this time." The knight told Jade as the group arrived at the outskirts of the manor, barring the entry way with his spear. 

"I'm sure they'll make an exception for us," Natalia said as she stepped to the front of the group.

"Y-your highness!" The White Knight stammered upon seeing Princess Natalia, quickly standing to attention. "O-of course, right this way." The White Knight led them to the ornate front doors to the manor before bowing respectfully to Natalia. The group filed into the manor's foyer only to be stopped almost immediately by Ramdas.

"Excuse me, Princess, but His Grace and Her Lady are not accepting guests until the first of Rem Decan," The butler explained, "As I'm sure you are well aware, the late young master would have come of age a few days ago and Lady Susanne is not coping well." 

"Yeah, well do we have news for y--!" Anise began, only to be cut off by Jade clamping a gloved hand over her mouth. 

"Forgive me, Ramdas, but Luke's friends and I wanted to pay our respects to my beloved aunt and uncle," Natalia lied smoothly, not missing a beat. "And we have something that might lift Her Lady's spirits."

"I highly doubt it," Ramdas sighed dejectedly in response, looking at the group with a helpless expression. "Lady Susanne hasn't been herself since the young master's untimely passing, but you may try. Very well, follow me." With that being said, Ramdas then brought the party to the drawing room. Duke Fabre and Susanne were gazing at the courtyard from the large window. "Forgive me, Sir and Madame, but Princess Natalia and her friends have requested an audience with Your Graces."

"Very well, Ramdas," Duke Fabre replied. "We will receive them now."

"Of course, Your Grace." With that, the party found themselves alone with the Duke and Duchess.

Susanne turned to face her niece, her expression one of deep sorrow. She stood quietly for a moment, slowly taking in the familiar faces of her son's friends before speaking. "What is it that you need, Natalia?"

"Dearest aunt and uncle, I know that this is a difficult time for you, with it being Luke's--" Natalia began, but was interrupted by Crimson slamming his fist on the nearby table. Natalia, Tear, Anise, and Ion visibly jumped, while Jade looked on impassively and Guy moved to place a steady hand against the small of Luke's back and Luke grabbed onto Guy's sleeve, the two of them exchanging worried glances.

"Don't you dare talk to us about our son!" he ground out, lifting his gaze to look back at his niece and the group of people before him. "Luke is **_dead_** !"

Taking that as his cue, Luke released Guy's sleeve, swallowing passed the lump in his throat before speaking. "No," The Duke and Lady froze at the familiar voice. "I’m not," Luke finally said, pulling his hood back and freeing his long hair from the confines of his robe as he stepped forward. The room fell into silence, with Susanne and Crimson staring back at Luke in complete and utter shock. Duke Fabre, for the first time in his life, it seemed, found himself at a total loss for words. Lady Susanne, however, took a single shaky step forward, her green eyes fixated on Luke's face, analyzing, taking notice of every detail, before looking into Luke's own emerald gaze.

"You're alive...?" Susanne breathed, to which Luke could only nod, his voice lost somewhere in his throat. In the next moment, Susanne had closed the distance between them and engulfed her beloved son in her arms, her hands grasping at him desperately, almost as if she thought that Luke would vanish if she didn't hold on tight enough. Luke immediately returned the gesture, his arms wrapped tightly around his mother's quaking form. When Susanne finally withdrew from the hug, she moved to cradle Luke's face in her hands, tears flowing freely down her face. "Luke, oh my precious Luke." She whimpered, in to place a shaky kiss on his forehead before pulling him against her once more.

Finally the Duke shakily made his way over to his wife and child, pulling the two of them against him in a rare display of affection, resting his chin atop Luke's head. After a moment, Duke Fabre looked down at Luke then up at Jade and spoke, "But how?"

"It's a long story, Father." Luke answered, finally managing to speak.

"And an incredible one at that," Jade added, adjusting his glasses. 

The next hour was spent with Luke explaining the past three years of his life to his parents; what happened after they had defeated Van in Eldrant, Asch's fate, why he had to stay in the core with Lorelei, how he managed to combat his otherwise terminal condition (that he had failed to mention to them before his absence, he realized belatedly), with the Duke or Susanne stopping him every once in a while to ask the occasional question or to clarify their own understanding of the entire situation. 

When Luke reached the end of his tale, he looked back at his parents' faces, anxiously trying to read their expressions and guess at how they were going to react as everything sank in. Susanne was the first to respond, not speaking at first, only strengthening her hold on Luke--she had not relinquished her hold on him since their reunion-- tears of joy streaming endlessly down her face. "It doesn't matter to me how you survived, Luke, what matters is that you're _alive_ and here with us."

"Your mother is absolutely right," Duke Fabre said finally, pulling both Luke and Susanne against him in a hug once more before releasing them when he realized that they were not alone. Clearing his throat, the Duke turned toward Guy. "I suppose that we, err... **_I_** , owe you an apology, Guy. You were the only one that was convinced that Luke was still alive. I am sorry that we ever doubted you."

Guy offered the Duke a small smile, dipping into a light bow before replying. "There is no need to apologize, Your Grace. I'm just glad that Luke is finally with us again." His eyes met Luke's meaningfully as he said this, silently telling Luke that he was _more_ than just glad to have him back. 

"Now then," the Duke continued, once again looking at his previously thought-to-be-dead son. "This calls for a celebration! Not only have you returned, Luke, but you've arrived just shortly after you're twentieth birthday."

"We will have to meet with my brother," Susanne chimed in, face aglow with happiness. "First and foremost, we have to arrange a private audience with Ingobert and explain everything. Then he can help us make arrangements for your coming of age ceremony, Luke. We'll have it here at the manor, as planned, and of course all of you are invited." She concluded with a gesture to toward the group.

"Ahhh!!" Anise squealed in delight. "Can you believe it? We're going to be at a real, live royal gala!" 

Natalia laughed lightly at the brunette's uncontained excitement, pressing a gloved hand to her lips before speaking. "Father will be beside himself with joy at having Luke back with us that this will be a huge event." The princess walked over to the Fabres, a smile gracing her features. "And, of course, you will all be our honored guests!"

"Mieuuuu, but Master will be the real guest of honor though!" Mieu chirped from the ground and Tear nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we can't forget that the party is for Luke's return as well as his coming of age ceremony." The melodist reminded them. "The event will be even more special than it would have been had it just been a celebration of his coming of age ceremony." 

"Your Grace, might I offer you and your guests--" Whatever Ramdas was going to say was lost as the butler's gaze fixated on Luke. "Y... young master!? You're alive?" The maids who had followed closely behind dropped the silver trays of treats and beverages onto the floor with a loud clatter, being just as shocked as Ramdas. Once they regained their composure, they hastily set about cleaning up the mess they had made before scrambling out of the room, their not-so-hushed voices heard announcing Luke's return as they disappeared down the corridors. After another moment, Ramdas composed himself enough to sketch a bow. "I-it is truly a blessing to have you back, young master." 

Luke offered the man a smile, "Thank you, Ramdas. It is good to be back." 

"I think we should just gather the entire staff, Luke." Guy said, stepping up to Luke's side and draping an arm around his shoulders. "Or else no one will believe those poor maids." 

" _Boo!_ " Anise chimed in, lip curling into a pout. "That's no fun, why can't we just take a leisurely stroll around the manor and enjoy their individual reactions?"

Jade chuckled quietly to himself while Tear and Mieu shook their heads at Anise's suggestion.

"Honestly, Anise!" Natalia cried out in exasperation, which earned her another _boo_ from the teen. She quickly composed herself and turned back to her aunt and uncle. "I think that Guy has the right idea, please, if it is all right with you, may we gather the staff in the courtyard?"

Susanne nodded in agreement. "Yes, I believe that would be best." 

"Ramdas," Duke Fabre began. "Please gather the entire staff in the courtyard for the announcement of our son's return posthaste." 

"Of course, Your Grace." Ramdas replied with a bow before taking his leave. 

"We will give them a few minutes to gather." Duke Fabre told the party before taking a place before the window overlooking the courtyard. After a few minutes passed by, it appeared that the majority, if not all, of the staff was present. "Well, let us tell them the news." 

The party filed out of the drawing room and exited into the now crowed courtyard. Just as Luke and Guy were about to exit the building, the Duke placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Wait a moment, son. I want to announce you properly."

Guy winked and gave Luke one last smile before joining the others in the courtyard. "See you in a bit, Luke."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be more tender Guy/Luke moments in the next chapter when they have some one-on-one time, I promise!


	3. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deepest apologies for the ridiculous wait between chapters! This chapter is pretty plot heavy and got really long, but I did keep my promise and included a much needed Guy/Luke moment at the end of the chapter. I even had to adjust the rating so to accommodate the resulting lemon. Enjoy!

To say that the staff was surprised would be an understatement. After Guy had joined the others in the courtyard, Duke Fabre had delivered a short speech that confirmed the rumors about his son's return amongst the maids was indeed true. Whatever skepticism the staff had was quickly dissolved when the Duke and Duchess presented Luke to the awaiting crowd. 

"See? We told you that we saw Master Luke in the drawing room!" A maid told a white knight. 

"Forgive me ," He apologized. "But until now, we had all believed the young master to be dead."

"I thought it was odd that Princess Natalia had brought their old traveling group here."

Many other such comments were made as the manor staff came to accept the reality that Luke had not perished after the battle with Van, and had since returned from circumstances that not even Jade could have predicted. After a short time answering any questions that the maids or White Knights had, Duke Fabre dismissed them back to their usual duties and returning to the group of his son's friends.

"Natalia," The Kimlascan princess looked to her uncle at the sound of her name. "You mentioned earlier that your father has not yet learned of Luke's return?"

"That's correct."

"Then we should make haste to the castle," Crimson replied. "His Highness will undoubtedly have some of his own questions for you, Luke. And then there's the matter of announcing your return to the people of Kimlasca, not to mention the planning of your coming-of-age ceremony. You'll need to be informed of the ceremony's proceeding and be present for the planning process."

Luke groaned, folding his arms across his chest. "Ugh, that sounds like such a pain."

"It's not that bad, Luke." Natalia informed him. "Mine went very well last year. The planning process takes about week, between the meetings and the lessons, you'll be busy right up until the actual ceremony."

" _A week!?_ " Luke repeated in disbelief, his expression growing with horror. His hands grasped the back of his head and he ruffled his long hair in frustration. "Th-that's insane!"

Laughing at Luke's childish behavior, Guy wrapped an arm around the flustered redhead's shoulders, effectively stopping his meltdown in its tracks. "Luke, c'mon, it'll be fine. It's just a week, and the rest of us will be staying in Baticul from now until the ceremony is over."

"Yeah, the rest of you will be out having fun while I'm stuck in the castle," Luke whined. Rolling his eyes, Guy moved to ruffle Luke' s hair playfully before his hand retreated to its usual resting place at Guy's hip. "I think you'll survive."

Ignoring his son's behavior, the Duke then informed the party that he, Susanne, Natalia, and Luke needed to meet with King Ingobert immediately. After explaining that Ramdas had already been tasked with making arrangements to have the guest rooms prepared for the party during their stay, he and Lady Fabre exited the courtyard.

"I supposed that we should be going as well, Luke." Natalia said, making her way to the door leading to the manor's foyer. As she was walking away, she spoke over her shoulder to their friends, "Meeting with Father is bound to take quite some time, so please, feel free to explore the capitol."

" _Ooooor_ , we could check out our super awesome rooms! We're going to get the same service as the Fabre family!" Anise added, eyes shining with excitement at getting the royal treatment. Tear nodded. "We should meet up with Noelle, too, and let her know that we'll be staying in Baticul for the week."

Jade gave a single nod in agreement. "Though, I would advise on waiting a bit longer to inform Noelle. She was up all through the night ensuring our arrival. In the meantime, it would be appropriate to give our thanks to Ramdas before going out on the town."

Natalia cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the party. "As fun as it would be to stay and help plan your stay in Baticul, Luke and I really need to be going." Giving a single nod in the redhead's direction, Natalia continued, "Let's go, Luke."

"Yeah," Luke replied as he started walking over to the impatient princess now that the others left to find Ramdas. A sudden tug on his sleeve stopped the redhead in his tracks, and when he went to turn around he was met with the soft pressure of Guy's lips on his cheek. Blushing, Luke glanced around to ensure that no servants had seen. When he realized that only Natalia remained in the courtyard with them, Luke murmured. "What was that for?" 

Chuckling softly, Guy replied with a wink. "For luck. I'll see you afterwards."

Cheeks still tinged pink as their eyes met, Luke gave the blonde a single nod. "Y-yeah ." And with that, he turned on his heel and followed Natalia to the castle.

##### 

##### 

\---------Later that week----------

With Luke and Natalia still preoccupied with the royal family regarding the preparations for the upcoming ceremony, Jade, Tear, Anise, Ion, and Guy were left to their own devices in the Kimlascan capital. If everything went according to plan, Luke's coming of age ceremony would be held next week. The group was just finishing breakfast at the Fabre manor when Jade decided to excuse himself, claiming that he had to send a letter to His Imperial Majesty and important errands to run.

"We should get going, too," Anise announced suddenly after Jade had exited the dining hall.

Tear and Guy gave each other confused glances. Turning back towards Anise when Guy merely shrugged, Tear inquired. "We?"

"Not _we_ as in all of us, we as in Ion and myself!" Anise clarified with a dismissive wave of her hand before continuing with a smile. "Ion promised that we would explore Baticul today, since Luke and Natalia are going to be stuck at the palace for the entire day again. It's _so_ boring staying here at the manor, no wonder Luke was excited to travel back then." 

"Of course, the two of you are more than welcome to join us if you want." Ion added, causing Anise's excited expression to fall considerably before she caught herself and covered her disappointment with a smile. "Baticul has an expansive shopping district, and even though it is nothing compared to Sheridan, I heard that there was a shop run by a fontech-enthusiast. Maybe they have something you'd be interested in, Guy."

"Well, what he's _**really**_ interested in is a certain little redhead," Anise quipped with a smirk and Guy's face immediately flushed pink. "But he's busy right now."

"A-anyway," Tear interjected, getting to her feet. "I promised Noelle that I'd spend some time with her today. She wanted go to Sheridan to meet with Ginji. We might be gone for a few days, but we will be back in time for Luke's ceremony."

Ion nodded. "In any case, we can walk with you to the hotel and see you off."

"Yeah!" Anise agreed, tugging insistently on Ion's arm until he acquiesced and stood up from his place at the table as well. With the Fon Master in tow, Anise hastily made her way to the door. Flinging the door open, she stopped suddenly, looking back at the blonde. "Are you coming with us, Guy?"

"No, thanks, I have something I need to do on my own, anyway." Guy replied.

Mouthing the swordsman a silent _'thank-you'_ for allowing her some alone time with Ion, Anise winked. "Suit yourself, see you later, Guy!" 

Tear and Ion said their goodbyes as well before the three of them left the dining hall, leaving Guy alone. The swordsman finished the last of his meal and exited into the foyer. Maids were rushing back and forth, some carrying baskets of freshly cleaned and pressed linens while others were busy dusting or cleaning the floors. Guy shook his head; the impending ceremony had the staff working twice as hard.

"No, no, no!" Ramdas was heard chiding a maid Guy didn't recognize; most likely a newer one. "Polishing that way will leave streaks and everything has to be perfect by the time the guests arrive!"

Quickly escaping into the hallway, headed towards the old room he once shared with Pere during his employment here. Sighing inwardly, Guy ran a hand through his blonde spikes; there was something that he had been meaning to talk to Pere about for a while now and with Luke and the others effectively occupied until late that evening, now was a good a time as any to have this conversation.

Just as Guy was about to open the door that led to the servants' quarters, he caught sight of Pere working diligently on the hedges that framed the outside of Luke's old bedroom. Suddenly feeling very nervous at the thought of this particular conversation, Guy froze. _Maybe this isn't a good idea._ Guy thought to himself as the nervous tension settled into a knot at the pit of his stomach. He had intended on telling Pere the truth about his and Luke's relationship earlier, before Luke had disappeared, but things were hectic back then and with Luke's condition at the time, anything besides seeking a cure or stopping Van's insane plan felt important enough to even think about.

 _But… Luke is back and I'll be damned if I lose him again, so I have to tell Pere sooner or later._ Guy mentally reasoned with himself, taking a steadying breath before stepping out of the hallway and into the courtyard. _C'mon Gailardia, you can do this. It'll be just like when you told Tear, Natalia, Anise, and Ion. Only this time, Luke isn't here to help offer his support._ Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Guy quickly glanced over the area; not a White Knight nor maid in sight. It was the perfect opportunity, all things considered; being at the Fabre manor without the Duke or Duchess and all the other staff otherwise occupied. With each step towards his guardian, Guy slowly composed himself so to calm his nerves. 

"Hey Pere," Guy said as calmly as he could, waving when the ex-sword instructor turned to face him.

The smile on the man's face had appeared the moment he had heard the young man's voice. "Well, Gailardia, this is quite the surprise. I thought for sure you would be out on the town with your friends today." Pere said as he set down the hedge clippers so that he could properly embrace the blonde.

Chuckling softly, Guy shook his head after their brief embrace. "No, they all had private matters to attend to today and I didn't want to bother them. Besides, it's been a while since your last visit to Grand Chokmah." Guy rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "And I'm… sorry that I haven't been to visit you in Baticul recently."

Waving his hand dismissively, Pere retrieved his hedge clippers from the wheelbarrow and continued carefully trimming the greenery. "It's quite alright, Guy. I know how busy you can get working for the emperor and, well, travelling between Grand Chokmah and Baticul isn't exactly a short trip." Snipping at a particularly unruly part of the bush, Pere continued. "Thankfully with Luke's belated coming of age ceremony next week, your stay in Baticul has been extended."

"Yeah, it has been pretty relaxing these last few days." Guy agreed, before adding. "Though I'm sure Luke would disagree. They've kept him pretty busy at the palace with all of this planning." 

"Yes, I would imagine that he would be very disinterested about the royal traditions." Pere said as he looked over the hedge for evenness. Satisfied with his work, Pere moved over to the next one, before carefully setting about shaping the shrub. "But the ceremony will be over with before we know it, Luke's return will be officially announced, and things will settle down eventually." 

"I hope so," Guy sighed, grabbing hold of one of his wrists and rotating it. _Stop stalling and just say it!_

Pere hummed lightly as he continued to work, noting the lull in the conversation but decided not to press the matter any further. "So, Guy, what are your plans for the rest of your stay? Maybe before the ceremony, I could take a day or two off and we could take a quick trip to Sheridan."

"That would be a nice break," Guy said, almost to himself. "That is, if Duke Fabre would allow time off before Luke's coming of age ceremony." The nervous feeling in his stomach felt like it was consuming him, causing Guy to fidget anxiously while Pere meticulously trimmed away.

"I should be done with the landscaping within the next day or so." Pere replied, stopping his task momentarily while he surveyed the state of the courtyard. "If not, we could always go afterwards."

"Y-yeah, we could." Guy said as he swallowed passed the lump in his throat. Nervously, he scanned the courtyard again, once more confirming that it was just the two of them outside.

"And if we did go after the ceremony, Luke could join us." Pere said conversationally.

An uneasy laughter emitted from the blonde. "Luke isn't exactly interested in fontechnology, Pere."

Shrugging, the gardener snipped a few more unruly leaves away. Another stretch of silence passed between the two Hod men. Finally, Pere stopped his task and turned to the blonde. "Guy," He said gently. "Is there something troubling you?"

"N-no, of course not!" Guy visibly tensed and averted his gaze, hand habitually reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

" _Gailardia._ "

Shifting nervously under his guardian's concerned stare, Guy relented. "Well, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about, but I just never had the chance to get you alone and when I did, I didn't quite know how to say it." Sighing in defeat, Guy lifted his eyes to met Pere's gaze. "I guess I still don't."

"Don't worry so much about having the right words," Pere told him gently.

Swallowing passed the growing lump in his throat, Guy quickly glanced around the courtyard again before stepping closer to his guardian and lowering his voice. "I am… well, the thing is…" With one last steadying breath, Guy blurted out, " _I'm in love with Luke._ "

There was a brief silence that followed, and then...

"So what was it you were going to tell me, Guy?" Pere asked.

"H-huh!?" Guy stared back at Pere with a look of growing horror. "C'mon Pere, I just told you, don't make me say it again!" When the gardener started laughing, Guy grimaced. "I'm being serious here!"

"That's what has been bothering you?"

" _Yes!_ " Guy hissed.

"Oh, Guy, I already knew that." Pere informed him with a grin. "I also know that the two of you have been in a serious relationship for a while."

Guy visibly paled before becoming frantic. "What!? B-but how?!"

Reaching out to rest a reassuring hand on the distraught blonde's shoulder, Pere replied, "Gailardia Galan, I've been taking care of you since you were five years old. There isn't a thing that gets passed me when it comes to my boy." 

As Pere's words sank in, Guy felt an enormous sense of relief bubble up inside of him and his eyes suddenly felt wet. Covering his eyes with his forearm, Guy rubbed at the tears before collecting himself enough to lower his arm and look back at his father-figure. "But if you knew, why didn't you say anything?"

To this, Pere only shrugged. "I knew that this was something you needed to come to me with on your own when you were ready. Besides, I could see that you were happy and that's all I ever wanted for you."  
Now that he had ebbed his tears, Guy couldn't stop smiling. He didn't know what reaction he had been expecting, but this was certainly better than anything he could have imagined. Stepping forward, Guy enveloped the elderly man in another hug before saying, "Thanks, Pere."

\----------------

While the conversation shifted to focus on him, Luke was hardly listening. He wasn't terribly interested in the intricacies of royal tradition regarding the ceremony. The only reason he had thought about the ceremony in the past was because it meant he would be free to leave the manor. Now, having explored--and saved-- the world, the ceremony was just another boring event. 

"Luke!" Suddenly pulled from his thoughts, Luke sat up straighter in his chair and look toward the source of the outburst-- Natalia. "Well?"

"Huh?" Luke asked.

"Luke, please pay attention," Susanne reprimanded gently. "It will make this process so much easier on everyone if you cooperate and stay engaged in the conversation."

Sighing in defeat, Luke replied, "Fine, fine, I'm sorry. What was it that you asked, Natalia?"

Annoyed, Natalia repeated herself. "I asked you about your thoughts regarding your outfit for the ceremony. Are you going to wear the more traditional garb or a more modern attire?"

"Ugh. Modern, I’m not going to put on all of those layers. It's such a pain." 

Natalia scowled. "Honestly, Luke, it wouldn't kill you to pay homage to our country's history. I found the traditional dress to be quite elegant and comfortable."

"Natalia, this isn't about your preferences." Ingobert interjected, drawing the attention of those in the room. Luke couldn't help but grin at Natalia's embarrassed expression. "And Luke, while this is indeed your coming-of-age ceremony and some decisions are yours to make, I would ask that you actually put some thought into them and put forth more effort into your lessons."

The redhead's expression fell, "Yes Uncle." Luke mumbled as he sank lower in his chair. 

Pointedly ignoring Luke's attitude, the royal family and the council began to speak in great length about the ceremony-- the speeches, the ritual, who was invited, what food was to be served. All stuff Luke couldn't care less about. Propping his left elbow up on the table, Luke rested his chin in his palm as he listened to them continue droning on and on. _Ugh, this is going to be another long, unproductive day._ Luke thought to himself bitterly, once again tuning out the conversation. _I hope Guy is having a better time than I am right now._

\----------------

By the time that the lesson had concluded, the sun had long since set on the Kimlascan capitol. With the ceremony only three days away, the royal family had become increasingly busy with the more final details of the ceremony. Invitations had been sent out and the Fabre manor had undergone excessive cleaning in preparation for the event. 

"I can't believe that we were stuck in these meetings all day." Luke complained loudly as he walked down the corridor leading to the castle's foyer.

Nodding in agreement, Natalia replied. "I must admit, even my own ceremony didn't require this much effort. Though, you have to remember that your ceremony is doubling as a celebration of your return, Luke." 

Sighing heavily, Luke folded his arms over his chest. "Yeah, yeah, I know." he said as the pair approached the grand entrance. "It's just gotten so annoying, I get that my return was… unexpected… but it's really not…" The redhead trailed off now that they had reached the large, ornate doors of the castle. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, Natalia." Grasping the handle on one of the doors, Luke pulled it open.

"Luke." Looking over his shoulder at the princess, Luke raised a questioning eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" 

Shaking his head, Luke looked forward into the quiet dark. "No, I'm just tired. It's been a long day." With that being said, the redhead exited the building and begun the short walk over to his family's manor. The royal district was quiet, save for the soft sound of the water trickling in the fountain at the base of the stairs leading up the castle's entrance. 

"Good evening , Master Luke." The White Knight guarding the manor's entrance greeted. Luke nodded in the knight's direction as he passed through and entered the manor. Gone were the maids that usually greeted any who entered, having retired to their rooms the evening. The foyer was empty save for the single White Knight standing guard outside of the Drawing Room's door.

 _It must be later than I thought if everyone is already asleep._ Luke thought to himself as he exited into the corridor that connected the foyer to the servant's quarters. As he walked down the narrow hallway, he took notice of how polished the windows were. _Everyone's been working so hard getting ready for my coming-of-age ceremony and I've just been sitting around complaining._

Immersed in his thoughts, Luke stepped out into the courtyard. The landscaping was pristine; freshly planted flowers, and not a single bloom was wilted or discolored from the looks of thing, and the hedges had been shaped to perfection. Approaching one of the hedges that framed the outside of his room, Luke gingerly touched one of the leaves.

"Pere's really outdone himself this time, huh?" Jumping at the sudden break in silence, Luke whirled around to see Guy perched in his bedroom window. "Haha, sorry, didn't mean to scare you, Luke." The blonde added when he saw the redhead's expression.

Shaking his head, Luke ascended the stairs and entered his childhood bedroom. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Nah, I figured you'd be late." Guy said with a casual shrug. Then, suddenly, his face became serious and he noted, "They've been keeping you later every day."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Luke groaned, pulling the door closed behind him and flipping the lock. "You know, you could always use the door." He teased as he shrugged off his cloak, tossing it carelessly onto the floor before kicking off his shoes.

Grinning playfully, Guy replied. "Yeah, but where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm used to entering this room through the window." Sliding down from his perch, Guy made his way over to where Luke stood. Reaching out and taking one of Luke's hands in his own, Guy leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to Luke's forehead. Slowly pulling back, the blonde added, softly. "I told Pere today, about us, I mean."

Raising his eyes to meet Guy's own, Luke gave Guy a look of concern. "And?" 

A smile tugged at the corner of Guy's mouth. "He said that he already knew and was waiting for me to tell him on my own. He's happy that we're happy."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Luke smiled as he replied. "That's great news, Guy." 

Carefully tucking the redhead's chin beneath one of his index fingers, Guy gently lifted Luke's face to meet his own before claiming his lips in a heated kiss. After a long moment, Guy broke their kiss, speaking heatedly against Luke's lips. "Yulia, I've been wanting to do that all week."

Luke's cheeks darkened at Guy's words, but he gave a single nod of agreement before looping his arms around Guy's neck and hungrily pulling him in for another kiss. Guy kissed Luke back fervently, catching Luke's tongue between his teeth and eliciting a faint whimper from the younger. 

As they kissed, Guy shrugged off his jacket and discarded it so that it joined Luke's cloak on the floor. Impatiently, Luke began fumbling with the buttons that ran down the front of Guy's green undershirt, cursing when he couldn't get the damned things unfastened quickly enough. Finally, finally, Luke was able to remove the shirt just as Guy kicked off his boots.

Feeling dizzy from the onslaught of passionate kisses, Luke moved to take a steadying step backward but bumped against the foot of the bed and lost his balance, causing the both of them to fall back onto the soft mattress. With a sudden urgency, Guy began tearing at the redhead's clothes, pulling off the younger's black shirt before hastily removing his gloves and his remaining long-sleeved shirt. Now on his hands and knees above Luke, Guy stared down at Luke's flushed face and kiss swollen lips. "God, Luke..." he breathed, admiring the sight.

Chest rising and falling erratically as he tried to regain his lost breath, Luke looked back up into those familiar blue eyes lovingly. "I've missed this, I've missed _you_. So much." Propping himself up on his elbows, Luke gingerly cupped the side of Guy's face in one of his hands. "I love you, Guy."

"I love you, too, Luke." Guy told him sincerely before leaning in and kissing Luke once more, softly, before adding. "I can't stand having to share you with everyone all day." As he said this, he pushed Luke back against the pillows beneath them, the younger's long red hair splaying about beneath his head. 

Luke's cheeks burned hotter at those words. "I don't like being shared." He admitted, never breaking eye contact. A moment of silence passed between them and then, "You know that I'll always be yours."

"And I am yours, Luke." Guy responded, dipping his thumbs beneath the waistband of Luke's pants. He closed the distance between them and caught Luke's mouth in a desperate kiss, parting the redhead's lips insistently with his tongue before discarding the boy's pants. 

As their kiss continued, Luke hastily pulled down Guy's own pants. Luke sighed contentedly into Guy's mouth as the blonde cupped his still-clothed erection, steadily applying a rhythmic pressure. Luke finally broke away from their kiss, his hands yanking down the last article of clothing on the blonde.

In response, Guy tugged down Luke's boxers before pulling the younger flush against him, the two of them sighing at the feeling of skin on skin. Pressing Luke deeper into the matters, Guy captured his lips in another heated kiss. Guy's hands possessively clamped down on Luke's waist, holding the redhead down as he ground against him.

Luke gasped at the pleasurable sensation, allowing Guy access to his mouth yet again. Capturing the smooth muscle between his teeth, Luke sucked on it gently, arms hooking around Guy's broad, muscular shoulders. As Guy ground against him again, Luke broke their kiss with a throaty moan. "A-ahh, feels good."

"Just wait," Guy murmured into Luke's ear heatedly, causing the redhead to shudder. "It gets better." As he said this, one of his hands released its hold on Luke's side and curled around the redhead's arousal.

"Guy-!" Luke cried out, bucking his hips up into Guy's hand. The blonde continued to stroke him, eliciting another moan of pleasure from Luke. The rosy flush of his cheeks steadily spread across the bridge of Luke's nose, his pale skin beginning to bead with sweat. 

"That's it," Guy encouraged, continuing with his ministrations. As Luke squirmed beneath him in pleasure, Guy pressed his lips to a spot on Luke's neck where he knew the boy was particularly sensitive. Luke gasped his name again and Guy grinned. "Just like that." After another moment, Guy released him, prodding at the younger's lips with three fingers.

Taking Guy's fingers into his mouth, Luke began to coat the digits in saliva. He fixed his gaze on Guy's face intently, cheeks still tinged pink from the earlier stimulation. Luke ran his tongue over Guy's fingers sensually, bright emerald eyes never once leaving Guy's as he did so.

"L-Luke." The redhead's display was certainly having an effect on Guy, who could only stare. Finally, Luke released his fingers, flicking his tongue over his lips briefly to moisten them. After a moment, Guy finally regained some shred of composure, allowing him to set about the task of prepping Luke for what was to come.

Luke gasped at the feeling of once again being worked open by Guy's fingers, eyes sliding closed as he allowed the sensations to overtake him. The redhead moaned, one arm sliding up above his head, his hand grasping at the silken bed sheets to anchor himself as his body was wracked with a wave of pleasure, " _A-ahh…_ "

 _Damn, he's already so responsive._ Guy thought to himself as he continued to stretch Luke. After a few more moments, he withdrew his fingers and moved to position himself at Luke's opening.

"W-wait." Luke said suddenly, hands grasping at Guy's forearms as he propped himself up on his elbows. The blonde's movements immediately stilled, a look of concern finding its way onto Guy's face.

"What's wrong, love?" Guy asked, cupping the side of Luke's face in his hand, thumb stroking the redhead's cheekbone tenderly. "Do you want me to stretch you more?"

Luke shook his head, sliding his hands up Guy's arms to grasp his muscled shoulders. Without saying a word, the redhead pulled Guy down beside him on the mattress before moving to straddle him. Luke leaned down, crushing his lips to Guy's, hands pushing up into his short blonde hair as he deepened the kiss. "I want to try something," Luke murmured thickly against Guy's lips when he finally broke the kiss. Shifting his hips so that he was positioned above Guy's erection, Luke rubbed him against him teasingly, eliciting a moan from Guy in response.

"Nngh… L-Luke," Guy gasped, both from the sensations this caused and surprise. For all of Luke's outspoken nature, the younger had always taken a submissive role in their lovemaking, but this sudden boldness in the redhead was a welcome change of pace. His eyes fixated intently on Luke's face as his hands moved to rest at either side of the redhead's slender hips, thumbs rubbing soothing circles just above Luke's hipbones.

In response, Luke slowly sank himself onto Guy's length, a pleasured sigh escaping him at the new sensations that this position caused and the familiar feeling of being filled up with the blonde. "Guy…"

Guy tossed his head back onto the pillows, hands grasping Luke's hips firmly as the redhead took him in inch by tantalizing inch until he was fully sheathed within the redhead. "D-Damn, Luke!" The older boy hissed, eyes screwed shut as the pleasure overwhelmed him. 

Nodding in wordless agreement, Luke closed his eyes and stilled his movements as he waited for his body to adjust to the intrusion. It had been far too long since they had done this and this position was new to the both of them. Moments passed and Luke let out a shaky but steadying breath. _I can do this._ Opening his eyes to reveal a determined emerald gaze, Luke slowly started to raise his hips.

Drawing in a sharp breath between clenched teeth, Guy tossed his head back onto the pillows. He couldn't decide what turned him on more; being ridden or the look in Luke's eyes. Either way, he had a painfully sexy Luke to attend to right now. Gripping the redhead's hips tighter, Guy gave a tentative thrust in time with Luke's movements.

" _A-ahh, Guy-!_ " 

_Again._ Smirking inwardly, Guy repeated the motion as the younger cried out, reveling in the sound of Luke's voice like that. Following another well-timed thrust, the redhead jerked forward, hands clumsily gripping Guy's shoulders as if to steady himself. "Nngh!" Guy groaned in response, hands guiding Luke back down and the redhead practically sung.

"Ahhh!" Luke moaned aloud, a wave of pleasure coursing through him as Guy hit that spot deep inside of him. When he gave a particularly throaty gasp, Guy responded with a growl before thrusting his cock into Luke's tight heat with even greater force. "Hnn, d-damn!" 

_**Knock, knock.** _

Their movements came to a sudden halt as panic began to set in and the boys exchanged panicked glances. Hearts beating somewhere up in their throats, the room fell into silence aside from the couple's heavy breathing.

"Master Luke?" A girl's voice called out tentatively from the other side of the door. One of the maids must have just finished her work for the night and had been passing through the courtyard as a shortcut. 

"Y-yeah?" Luke asked, mentally willing her to leave.

To the boys' dismay, she replied. "Is everything alright? I heard you moaning."

Guy stifled a laugh and teasingly shifted his hips, eliciting a quieted moan and earning himself a glare from the exasperated redhead. Turning his attention away from his lover, Luke silently cursed both Guy and the nosy maid. "I'm fine. I-it's just another headache." He lied.

"Do you want me to get you some medicine?" 

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Luke's face. "No, nothing works for my headaches." Ruffling his bangs in irritation, Luke added. "I'll just have to wait it out." 

"R-right! Sorry, Master Luke!" The maid apologized. "I'll be off then, I hope you feel better!" The sound of her retreating footsteps filled the air and both boys remained still for a few moments after the sound disappeared. Breathing a sigh of relief, Luke visibly relaxed though still kept his eyes on the shut door.

Taking advantage of Luke's distraction, Guy's arms encircled Luke's form and he flipped their positions before pressing Luke flush against the mattress beneath them. Before the bewildered boy had a chance to react, he pressed his mouth to Luke's in a fierce kiss and bucked into Luke once again. Keening into Guy's mouth as pleasure washed over him again, Luke wrapped his arms around the blonde's broad shoulders, fingernails digging into Guy's lightly tanned skin. Then, the younger pulled away from the kiss with a gasp as Guy suddenly became less gentle and Luke bit down on his lip to try and stifle his cries.

" _ **Don’t**_!" Guy bit out suddenly, startling the redhead. He started moving even faster, slamming into Luke even harder, trying to elicit those wonderful sounds in any way that he could. "A-ah, Luke! P-please!"

Luke hooked his legs around Guy's waist, using the leverage to raise his hips in time with Guy's movements as another cry escaped him. Guy shouted at the sound of Luke's voice like that, feeling pleasure sluice through him before he hungrily captured Luke's lips with his own in another desperate kiss. Breaking their kiss, Luke tossed his head back and his back arched, his mouth falling open as his eyes screwed shut in pleasure. "Nngh… G-Guy!"

Guy's fingers wrapped in Luke's long hair to pull them even closer in response and tears sprung to his eyes as Luke, his Luke, moved against him, mewling helplessly in that _**way**_ of his that left Guy positively weak. "Aahh…" Guy bit down on Luke's collarbone, letting out a shuddering breath with each shift of their hips.

Luke groaned at the sensation the bite caused, digging his nails deeper into Guy's skin as he lost himself in the moment. "D-Damn!" The redhead bit out before pressing their mouths together in fierce kiss, biting down hard on Guy's lower lip before releasing him with a cry. The coil of heat and tension that had built up in the pit of his stomach was threatening to come undone as they continued. 

Slamming their bodies together as he repeatedly drove his cock in and out of the redhead beneath him and shaking with the force of his emotion, Guy cried out. "God, Luke!" 

After a few more thrusts, Luke couldn't take it anymore and he felt his muscles contract around Guy's length and he tossed his head back in pleasure while he came. " _ **Gailardia!**_ "

Guy lifted his hips and jerked forward again and he shuddered, gasping. " _ **Luke!**_ " He cried out in response, burying his face into the crook of Luke's neck as he rode out his own orgasm. Spent, the blonde collapsed on top of the redhead, both boys breathing heavily against one another. After a brief moment, Guy pulled out and Luke rearranged the blankets so that their lower bodies were covered just as Guy laid down next to him. Pressing his lips to Luke's burning cheek briefly, Guy pulled back just enough to get a good look at his lover's face. Gently nudging Luke's nose with his own until the redhead opened his eyes, revealing a smoldering emerald gaze that caused Guy's heart to skip a beat. "I love you, Luke." 

Blushing at those tender words, Luke closed the distance between them with a soft kiss before pulling back. "I love you, too, Guy" He murmured before moving to rest his head beneath Guy's chin, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "Sleep, love, I'll be here when you wake up."

Guy kissed the top of Luke's head and nestled his cheek against Luke's crimson hair, feeling his eyes begin to drift close as a contented smile tugged at his lips.


End file.
